The Fail Safe Initiative
by Juke
Summary: -- The Detective, Lensman.EXE, is sent to repair a 'Legend'... but who? First Key- NEW CHAPTER
1. Your Mission, Should You Choose to

FAILSAFE INITIATIVE: The Cossack Navis  
  
[This is a Megaman Battle Networks fanfic. It does not deal with Megaman or any of the official characters, though they may show up. I don't own MMBN, but you already knew that. 'Ran' is a friend of mine from the Bob and George community. Yes, he does die just that easily.]  
  
---2145, September Third, 9:34 A.M.  
  
"Lensman, enter Net."  
  
I formed on the 'Net. As I stepped forward from my homepage, I was hailed by a familiar voice. "Yo! Lens!"  
  
It had been six months since the change in him. The Fail-Safe Initiative had worked wonders.  
  
Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am LensMan, detective freelance. I do not know my origin, my purpose, or my creator. Privet, tovarisch.  
  
---2145, February Tenth, 12:00 Noon  
  
"Lensman, enter Net."  
  
I walked the streets of MoscNet, and found my way to the local message board. "Hmm... shit, what's today's news... ads for code fixes... usual tournaments..." I took a step back. "What? 'Fix a legend- please help. This means you, Lensman.'" It was signed 'The Doctor.'  
  
I downloaded the coordinates and found my way to a dingy bar, where a bright red Navi addressed me as 'Comrade.'  
  
"I am here to inquire about that message. Are you affiliated with The Doctor?"  
  
The Navi motioned me to sit down, and climbed up onto a stool with some difficulty. "I am Ran.EXE, the personal Navi of his daughter. This may take a while.  
  
"You're an intelligent man, tovarisch. You know of the Legend the message spoke of. You know his nature. You, my friend, are perfectly suited to be a part of the Failsafe Initiative."  
  
"Failsafe initiative?" It was true, I knew of the legend. But this child of a Navi spoke of something I had never heard of.  
  
"Da. The Doctor wishes to fix his greatest mistake before he dies. And so I put to you this proposal. You help me activate the legend's failsafe program... and I tell you who you are."  
  
I rubbed my forehead. "How do you know of my search, tovarishch?"  
  
"I have my ways..." The Navi placed a small datastring on the table and attempted to stand. As he hit the floor, he disintegrated. I looked down at the pile of scrap code. "Huh." I had seen weirder.  
  
The same Navi walked up behind me grinning sheepishly. "Ahahah... afraid I misjudged the distance." I looked at him oddly and just shook my head.  
  
I picked up the datastring, identified as 'IDData.' It contained a pass to the Moskva Science Square.  
  
"Comrade, I expect to see you in Science Square as soon as possible. There I will explain better. Thank you for your cooperation."  
  
The Navi walked out of the bar. 


	2. Meet the Force and Setting Off

I pocketed the data and walked out a few minutes later. I decided to go to my usual information-gathering spot, Drunk's Square.  
  
I was greeted by the sour smell of corrupted, rejected data as I entered. I ignored it and made my way over to the bar.  
  
There's a surefire way to get information out of a bartender who knows it. Buy the most expensive drink in the house, and then pay too much for it.  
  
I did so. A few minutes later, the bartender leaned over to me with a questioning look on his face. "What did you need to know, Lens?"  
  
I asked him about Moscow Science Square. "Ooh, that?" he replied. "Not easy to get into. Producers of some of the greatest info out there, though. You'll find the entrance inside the chipshop at Moskva Square. Why, you got a case off the Doctor?"  
  
"Exactly." I stood up. "Thanks for the... drink, tovarishch." I left the pink, fizzing concoction on the bar and left quickly.  
  
I made my way to the Moskva Science Square entrance. I placed the datastring in the door and entered the dank, mouldy corridor. As I reached the end, a chemical smell reached my nose, like turpentine and formaldehyde.  
  
The Navi, Ran, came up to me with a clipboard. "You've arrived. You need to speak to RingMan soon, she has all the data you need." He shuffled off, and was nearly gone when he tripped and disintegrated again. I just shook my head and wandered over to a tank, where something that looked oddly like my lens was floating. "Ugh." I shuddered. "I'll be glad to be out of here..."  
  
Another red Navi, this one with rings circling much of her body, ran into the lab. "Ah, LensMan. Good to see you. I'm Ring, prefer not to use the 'Man' part, obvious reasons..." She spoke quickly without waste of words. "I'm the Doctor's personal Navi. Allow me to introduce..." She whistles. "DrillMan, ToadMan, PharaohMan, DiveMan, SkullMan, DustMan, and BrightMan, my co-creates. You are to take your choice of them along on this mission, I assume Ran-chan has given you all the--"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, wait. I haven't even accepted this yet, dammit! Give me some time to think! First of all, what are all these parts and things?"  
  
"Oh, those are Rans."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Ran deletes himself a lot, so we keep parts of him around to rebuild him. He's clumsy and cheaply built, but we love him."  
  
"Er. That's interesting."  
  
"The Doctor won't live much longer. The Legend must be repaired, for his and the Doctor's sake. Please, help us out. You're perfect for this job."  
  
I looked down at her. "...What am I getting out of this again?"  
  
"Your history, your life, and the memories you lost."  
  
"...It's a good trade. All right, if you insist."  
  
"Thank you, you don't know how much this means." She tapped her clipboard. "For this mission, I'd recommend Brightman to blind him... not sure how much good that would do, though, he's a weak little dumpling..." The light-bulb navi stomped his foot. "Hey, I'm just as powerful as anyone!"  
  
"All right, Brighty, calm down. When it comes down to it, Lens, it's up to you. He's not easily distractable. This will not be an easy job, okay?  
  
"You may be deleted. I can't stress the power in the Legend. The Doctor was a fool when he made him..."  
  
I cracked my knuckles. "I think I'll take Ran along."  
  
"Ra-ran? But he's weak, and--"  
  
"He can also infinitely die and revive. A very valuable aspect in distraction. Give me the FailSafe and bring me Ran."  
  
I received the FailSafe program, and soon Ran joined me. It was time to repair a legend. 


	3. The First Key and The First Clue

I and my new brother-in-arms, Ran, made our way to the Densan Chipshop, the gathering grounds for all battlers of any repute. I pushed my way through the crowd. Suddenly, I felt a bump.  
  
"Ah, Lensman! Been a while. Cracked any recent cases?" The blue Navi grinned at me. "Oh, hey Mega. How's the wife?"  
  
"Eh. She's fine, but her operator isn't. She and Netto have been fighting again, as usual."  
  
"That's no good. Say, you've fought the Black Legend before, right?  
  
A serious expression came over the blue Navi's face. "Four times. Why do you need to know?"  
  
"I'm on a job to delete him or repair his corrupted bits of code."  
  
Megaman turned pale. "Listen, Lens. He's a lot more powerful than you think. I won't let you go.  
  
"Mega, this is my chance to understand my past. If I'm deleted... at least I died trying."  
  
"If you want to sacrifice your code, I guess I can give you the first door code..." The last time Megaman had fought the legend, he had locked the black Navi behind ten doors. "I'm serious here, Lens.  
  
"I guard the first door." Megaman pulled a key out of his pocket. "I give you this and the second clue. "Your code flows... I alone can read it. Look for me where the creators live."  
  
He gave me DoorCode1.  
  
"Where the creators live... code flows?" I shook my head. "Well, thanks for the help, Mega. Give my regards to Roll."  
  
"Yeah... Hey, Lens. Don't get yourself deleted, all right?"  
  
I turned and saluted. "I won't let you down."  
  
I and my red companion found our way back to the evil-smelling Drunk's Square. The bartender merely leaned over the table. "Yes? What info?"  
  
"Know anything about code-modifying Navis? I've an odd mission." I slapped three hundred-zenny coins on the table.  
  
"Code-modifying? Can't say I ha--Oooh. You'll need to go far for this. Ever heard of DenSanNet?"  
  
"Yeah. The origin of the Net, right?"  
  
"Yeah. It's getting run-down... Anyway, in the square there's a little-known hidden door. But it takes a key... I don't know how you'll get it, and I don't know who to ask. Sorry."  
  
"It's all right. Well, thanks anyway..." I turned and left the area quickly, as Ran was looking a bit green from the stench.  
  
[Three chapters down, and their quest begins. This will be really fun, folks. So watch this space for more... if any of you are actually reading this... o_o;] 


End file.
